New Haven students qualify for national contests

ACES ECA seniors Ethan Balfour Clark and Erian Diaz, who placed first and third respectively in the Connecticut Shakespeare Competition.

ACES ECA seniors Ethan Balfour Clark and Erian Diaz, who placed first and third respectively in the Connecticut Shakespeare Competition.

Photo: Contributed Photo

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image
1of/3

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 3

ACES ECA seniors Ethan Balfour Clark and Erian Diaz, who placed first and third respectively in the Connecticut Shakespeare Competition.

ACES ECA seniors Ethan Balfour Clark and Erian Diaz, who placed first and third respectively in the Connecticut Shakespeare Competition.

Photo: Contributed Photo

New Haven students qualify for national contests

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — ACES Educational Center for the Arts students recently won two regional competitions and will compete at the national level in their respective contests.

Ethan Balfour Clark, a senior, placed first in the 35th Annual Connecticut Shakespeare Competition for his performance of a monologue from Henry VI, Part 3 and of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 96 and will compete in the English Speaking Union National Competition in New York City on April 29.

“Ethan is incredibly hard working, highly intelligent and loves Shakespeare’s history plays,” said Ingrid Schaeffer, chairwoman of ACES ECA’s theater department and one of Clark’s two acting coaches with Carolyn Ladd.

“Ethan also avoided the stereotypical pitfalls in his creative interpretation of Richard due to his clear understanding of language, character and given circumstances of the world of Henry VI, pt. 3,” she said. “His sonnet provided a clear contrast in emotion to his monologue showing his ability to have a range of tactics and emotions.”

ACES ECA senior Erian Diaz placed third in the competition, with a monologue from Hamlet and a performance of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141.

“Erian has a strong emotional instrument and easily connected to Hamlet’s dilemma in his famous monologue,” Schaeffer said. “He takes direction well and easily applies specific technical notes on language and meter while maintaining a strong sense of self and personal connection. His sonnet provided a wonderful, comedic contrast to his monologue.”

ACES ECA senior Remsen Welsh placed first in the New Haven Regional August Wilson Monologue Competition later in the week with a monologue from The Piano Lesson. Schaeffer said Welsh competed against 14 other students in the regional final and will compete in the national final on May 6. Both Welsh and Journey Brown, a Choate Rosemary Hall student who placed second in the regional competition, will perform their monologues on Broadway for the national final.